Door closing mechanism



April 9, 1935. N. A. GUssAcK DOOR CLOSING MECHANISM Filed May 19. 1931 6 Sheets-Sheet l QN .WW a

April 9, 1935 N. A. GussAcK 1,997,175

DOOR CLOS ING MECHANI SM File'd'May 19, 4 1951 6 sheets-sheet '2 April 9, 1935.

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DOOR CLOSING MECHANI SM Fi'led May 19. 193.1 6 vShee\,s-Shelet fi u .6 Sheets-Sheet 5 @QN ma. www

April 9, 1935.

N. A. GussAcK DOOR CLOSING MECHANISM FledMay 19, 1951 April 9, 1935, N. A.- GussAcK DOOR CLOSING MECHANISM e sheets-sheet 5v Filed May 19, 1951 Wzl/zand Gwsac/g/ of the structural frame or casing of van elevatorshaft. This plate has an overhanging top wall 28 that terminates in a dependingA ange 29. An outer or cover wall support 3i] is detachably secured to the ange 29 by screws 3| or other suitable `fasteners, and may have a rearwardly extending portion 32 that overlies the top wall 28. yA casing is thus provided with an open bottom as will ybe clear particularly by reference to'FigureV 2. Secured to the plate and located horizontally within the chamber thus formed is a track 33 held in-- place byscrews 3ft or other devices and having its upper andV lower faces grooved as shown at 35 to provide races for balls 3e. Y

A door hanger carriage reciprocates horizontally on thetrack 33, and in theembodimenr disclosed it consists of an L-shaped plate 31 having an upper rearwardly extending flange 38 and having an angle bar 39 secured to its front face, providing an outwardly extending ilange 4Q. Fastened to the rear side ofthe carriage plate 31 is aball race element 4| having rearwardly extending walls that are longitudinallyV grooved, as illustrated at 42 to receive'and allow the travel of the balls 36. A substantially U-shaped ball cagechannel plate 43 may be i employed, being interposed between the track -33 .and ball race element 4| and having openings 44 in which the balls are located. The carriage thus has a free and easy re'ciprocatoryv movement on the track 33 and it is provided below said track with brackets 45 socketed to receive and support the heads 45 of pendant bolts 41 held in place by nuts 48 and constituting means for suspending the door 49.

The angle bar 39-'40 constitutes a support for a horizontal rack 56 having upstanding teeth. This rack is preferably mounted on posts 5|, the posts and rack being secured to the'flange 40 of the angle bar by screws '52 passing through the flange 40 and posts 5| and being threadedfinto the rack. The rack thus is made to reciprocate with the door carriage and door.A` Another horizontal rack 53 with upstanding teeth'is secured to the supportingplate 26 by suitable screws 54.

Fixed in the chamber, for example, by collars 55 suitably secured to the top Wall 28 isa door closer motor and check. Thisconsists of `a cyl-A inder element 5.6 horizontally disposed above the track 33 and door carriage 31, and Aa piston 51 (see Figure 24) that reciprocates inthe cylinder and has a piston rod 5S that slidably extends through a packing gland59 carried by one of the.

heads 60 `of the cylinder element. Secured to the exposed end of the piston rod 58 is a gear case composed of detachably connected sections 6|. Extending across this gear case are two shafts 62 and 53. On one is a pinion 54 thatis in mesh with alarger gear 65 on the other, this gear and pinion being housed Within .the gear lcase 6|. One of theshafts as52 projects on one side of the gear case 6| .(seey Figure 7), and has detachably fixed thereto a gear 65 that rides the rack 5|). The other shaft'S Aprojects; on the opposite side of the gearl case 6| and has aV gear 61 that corre-y spondingly travelsalong the rack 53. Located within the cylinder 5B I(see Figure 24) are coiled springs 68 that abut thepiston 51 and resist its movement in one direction, while reacting after being compressed, to move said piston in the opposite direction. The cylinder element 56 furthermore holds checking fluid, as oil, which is allowed to travel to opposite sides of the piston. To this end the piston is provided with a passageway 63 extending therethrough from one side to the lother and controlled by a ball valve 1E! located in achamber 1| formed in one end of the piston. An open-ended passageway 12 is provided in the cylinder member with ports opening into the piston chamber, allowing the circulation back and forth of the checkingl medium. Another passageway 13 has an inlet port 14 in 'the cylinder head 15 and an outlet port 1B into the piston chamber on the opposite side of the piston. The area of the port 14 can be varied by a'suitable valve 11.

In the structure as disclosed the door as shown in Figure lis in itsclosed position. Toy open it, it is manually moved to the left. Upon such movement the rack 59 moves vequally with it, thereby rotating the gear 65, and this gear operating through the pinion 34 and gear 55, ro-

tates the gear G1 at a much lower rate of speed,

causing the gear 51 to travel along the rack 53. This rack 53 may' therefore be relatively short. In fact in actual-practice for ordinary purposes it need be butapproximately live inches for a large sized door. The piston 51 obviously moves :1.,v

the same distance and consequently the cylinder memberSS can be short. The piston in its movement to the left compresses the springs 68 and the checking Vfluid lwhich is at the left side of the piston (as seen in Figure 4) will flow freely the door its-full movement. In doing so, while 1 the-valve 10 of the piston 51 now closes by reason of the pressure of fluid against it during the greater portion cf the movement of the piston, the checking fluid can iiow freely through the passageway 12 to the rea-r side vof the piston, and a portion of itwill also escape through the passageway 13, but after the piston has covered the right hand end of the passageway 12, then the checking fluid .that is in advance of the same,

can find egress only through the port 14 and this being choked down to any desired degree by the valve 11, the movement of the piston and colisequently of the door is slowed down and the latter vcornesto a quietstop in its closed position.

It will be noted that this mechanism including the means for hanging any suitable door therefrom, constitutes a complete unit that can be built and'assembled at the factory and placed in any desired position. Moreover it is compact and is located above the top of the door and doorway, occupying but little morev space than that necessary for the door itself. Furthermore it may be employed for standard doors of various sizes. In other words practically all the elements of the structure can be utilized irrespective of the size of the door within the range now ordinarily employed. The only diiferent elements needed are gears 66 and 61 of different sizes that are readily interchangeable on the shafts 62 and 63. This of course necessitates the adjustment of the yref :ks 50 and 53; but as 'indicated in Figure 9a,

posts 5| of different lengthsV may be yemployed.

for the rack 50 and the rack 573 can be placed in diierent positions by providing holes with threaded walls, as shownat18 for the reception of the screws 54 (see Figure 2).

The structure is also adaptable for use in connection with doors that can be locked in their closed positions and can readily be combined with an electric interlock switch. Such a structure is illustrated in Figures lil-19 inclusive. In Figure 1 a left hand opening door is shown. Y In Figure 10 a right hand opening door is illustrated; The general structure is however substantially the same as that already explained, and it is believed to be unnecessary therefore to explain the same in detail. The supporting plate Vis shown at 18 and the track is designated 80. The doorv hanger carriage is shown at 8| .e and reciprocatesonthe track, though in this case a ball cage is not illustrated, it being understood that a cage of thisy kind may -be employed to prevent the displacement or creeping of the balls as may occasionally otherwise occur. The carriage 8| has'hanger brackets 82, from which is suspended the door 83. The cylinder element is shown at 84 and in thisinstance is differently constructed, a detail longitudinal section thereof being shown in Figure 25.. In this embodiment of the invention the cylinder element includes an extended head1 85 provided with a piston chamber 86. Thecylinder element proper also has a chamber 8,1 walled from the piston chamber 86 by a packing gland 88. A piston 89.0peratesin the piston chamber 88 and has fixed thereto a piston rod 90 that extends through the packing gland 88 and through the chamber 81. On its `exposed end is mounted a gear case 9| containing the gearing to which are fixed the gears 92 andf93 that respectively travel along the stationary rack 94 and the traveling rackV 95,`the latter being mounted on the door hanger carriage 8 I. The door closing yspring in this embodiment is shown at 98 in Figure V25 and is located in the chamber 81, being engaged with an abutment collar 91 xed to the piston rod 90 within said chamber 81., The checking fluid is placed in the piston chamber `85, a plug iilling opening 08 being provided for the vpurpose. The piston has a valved vent 99 similar to that already described, and the piston chamber Wall has a by-pass |00. A second by-pass- |0|, leading from the outer end of the piston chamber 86 to an intermediate portion ofthe same, is controlled by a valve |02.

The operation of the structure as thus far described is the same as that of the rst embodiment', but in this form of closer motor and check, the closer spring does not operate in the chamber containing oil that checks the operation.V By referring to Figure 25, however, it will be noted that the diameter of the chamber 81 Vis greater than the oil check chamber 86, and the chamber B1v provides a receiver for any oil that leaks out of the chamber 83 through the packingl glandv.

, This is of considerable importance, as it prevents any leakage dripping down on to the door or through the doorway.

In the present embodiment, the Adoor `is locked by locking thevgear case 8| and piston against movement. To this end'pivotally connected toggle links |03 are provided. vOne ofthe toggley links is pivoted, as shown at |04 to a bracket |05 adjustably mounted on the supporting plate 18. rIhe other link has in its free end a longitudinal ,slot |05 inwhich is engaged'a pivot pin |01. AThe pivot pm m1 is carriedty en ear Ama fixed' to A the gearcase lll.VV The-.links are sorelated. that whenthey are in alined position theyobviously constitute a bar tothe movement of the gear' case and as the movement of said case is yessentialto the opening of thedoor, the door is consequently locked. I 1 x" x To allow this movement the following mechani'sm is preferably employed.v 'An actuatingarm '|09 is pivotally mounted on a; suitable portion of the structure as shown at H0, and at its free end it isprovided with an upstanding head v| The pin ||2 that pivotally connects the links is extended so as to rest upon this head I.v The door 83 isprovidedwith a horizontally mounted and horizontally reciprocatory actuating rod'` |ll2a, one end being slidably mounted in a bracket I3 and having a head |4 that abuts the bracket to' limit the independent movement of the rodV with respect to the door. is connected to Vone arm of a bell crank l5 located in a casing |16 on the door. The other arm of this lbell crank has a connection with a vertically reciprocatory rod ||1 adapted to abut against 1a block ||8 carried by the arm |00.

rIn opening the door the operatorgrasps the The `other end of this rod YIl) rod ||2a and moves -it in theA direction in which e Vthe door is to be opened. The rst action causes a movement of said-rod ||2a with'respect tothe door, for thedoor is locked as shown. :In this movement the vertical rod ||1 Vis raised thereby swingingv the arm |09 upwardly, moving the pivot pin I2 in a corresponding direction and ,breaking the toggle or in other words, causing ,the links to assume an angular relation as shown in Figure 19. The gear case andpiston are now free to move and a continued movement ofV the actuating rod ||2a therefore causes the Yopening of the door and the' continued elevation ofthe links |03. Upon the return. or closing movement of the doorunder the-action of the spring 98, the parts reassume their normalrelation and the door automatically locks.

The locking and actuating means in this embodiment is also made to constitute operating means forthe electric interlock switch. vThat is to say, it is common practice to require the opening of the motor supply circuit for the elevator when the door of the elevator shaft is opened to prevent any movement of the elevator as long as the door is open. It is believed that this is so well'kn'ownr as to need no exposition beyond a showing of a control switch, and such switch is shown kin elevation in Figure l0 and in greater detail in Figure 18. That is to say a casing |20 is mounted as shownat |2| on the supporting plate 19. Inthis casing is a reciprocatory bar |22 of insulating material carrying ra contact head |23. Contact arms '|24 are pivotedlat|25 within the casing and have terminals 26 that are adapted to engage thehead |23 when the bar is moved i outwardly Asoy as to cause an electrical connection between'the arms. I'Ihese arms as noted are in the controlling or operating circuit.

They are urged inwardly bysuitable springs |21. When the bar'l22 is moved outwardly, the arms |24 will swing towards eachother until theheads` alined or locking"position,` the bar I 22 is in lits Voutermost position, or in other wordsfthe contact heads |26 are in engagement with the head '|23 and current can-flow freely through the switch, but when the links are raised by operating the actuating rod I IZa, upon their initial movement the bar |22 is moved into the'casing and the contact is broken, thus openingvthe switch.Y In'this connection it will be noted that by reason or the slot and-pin connectionIilG-I'i of one of the links |03, a limited elevation of the links is permitted before any of the other mechanism lis actuated, so thatthe switch is opened initially before the door is initially moved. This is important as it means the lockingV of the' elevator before the door starts to open. f y f TheV structure ris also applicable to multple doors, and such isshownrin Figures 20-23'in elusive. Here again it is believed to be unnecessary to go into detail in the general operatingY structure, as this has been already fully explained.V The supporting plate or bar isshown" at |29 and carries a track |33 on which reciprocates a door hanger carriage I3! :from which is hung one of a pair of double doors, designated respectively |32 and |33; The door |32 operates precisely the same' as the door 45 of Figure l and the door 83 of Figure 10. In other words the carriage |3I, carryingthe door |32, has a rack |34 with'which meshes a gear |35 forming a part of the set of gearing carried by the gear case |36. Another of these gears |31 meshes with a xed rack |38 mounted on the supporting plate |29. The gear case |35 is carried by a piston rod |39 operating in a` cylinder element |49, all of which is the same as that disclosed in Figure 25. The locking links are shown at -I4| and the electric interlock switch at |42, the bar |43 thereof having a link connection E44 with the pivot |45 of the links |4|. An actuating arm forl the links is shown at |46 and is operated by a vertical rod |41 on the door |33. Y f l The door hanger carriage I3I- in this embodiment has iixed to one side' another track |38 on which is a hanger carriage |49 that supports the door I 33. To'eiect the movement of the door |33 at twice the rate as the door |32 in orderv that the door |33 will fully overlap the door |32 when thedoors are fully opened, the door hanger |49 has a horizontal rack |53 with its teeth inset. Another oppositely disposed rack I5 Yis carried by the supporting plate |29 (see Figure-2l) These racks are engaged by a gear |52 journaled on the door hanger carriage I3 It will thus be evident that as the carriage I3! moves in either direc-- tion, it carries the gear |52 valong with it, and this gear running on the track |5I is rotated, thereby causing the rack |50'to travel at twice the speed of the carriage ISI, andthe rack |58 being iixed to the carriage |49 from which'the door |33 is suspended, the latter operates at twice the speed as the door |32.

By reference to Figure 21, itwill be noted thatV the balls L53, which createan partsand occupy unobstructed and heretofore unused space above the doors.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation and many advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description,and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from'the spirit or sacricing any of the advantages of the invention.

lWhat I claim, is:

'1. The combination with a reciprocatory closure, of a rack mounted thereon, a xed rack adjacent'the closure, a motor element including a movable element, a 'gear case carried by the movable element, coacting gears in the gear case, and gears connected to said coacting gears and respectivelyA engaging the racks.

' 2. .The combination with a reciprocatory closure, Vof a rack adjustably mounted thereon, aiixed ,rack adjustably mounted adjacent the closure, a vmotor element including a movable element, a gear case carried by the movable element, coacting gears in the gear casing, and interchangeable gears adapted to be connected to said coacting gears and respectively engaging the racks.

V3. A closure operating unit comprising a supporting plate, a horizontal track thereon, a hanger carriage. that travels on the track and has depending brackets for suspending a door, a rack fixed `to Vthe carriage,` a rack xed to the, supporting plate, a cylinder Xed to the supporting plate longitudinally of the track and abovethe same, a piston in the cylinder, a gear case moved by the piston, intermeshing gears in the gear case, and gears externally of the gear case and connected to the other gears, said external gears being engaged respectively with the racks.

4. The ycombination with reciprocatory doors movable horizontally to and from an overlapping,`

relationship, of movable carriages above the doors and from whichtheV doors are suspended'a suppcrt'for the carriages abovethe doors, `a rack carried by the support, a rack on one of the door carriages, a gear between the racks, a rack on the other carriage, a second rack `mounted on the support, gearing `between the latter racks, and motor means ior'moving the gears and thereby the doors.

5. The combination with a support, of a track Y thereon, a door hanger that reciprocates on the track, a track mounted on and reciprocable with the door hanger, a second door hanger that reciprocates on the reciprocable track, gearing between the second door .hanger and support to cause its movement at a'great'er rate of speed than thev rst hanger, arcylinder mounted on the support, a pistonv operating in the cylinder longitudinally of the tracks, and gears movable with the piston and respectively engaged with the support and with the rst hanger to cause the latter to move at a greater rate of speed than the pison.

6. The combination with asupport, of a track thereon, a door hanger that reciprocates on the track, a trackmounted on and reciprocable with the door hanger, a second door. hanger that re* ciprocates on the reciprocable track, a rack on the .k

second door hanger, a rack on the support, a gear on the rst doorrhanger that engages the racks, to causeV the second door hanger to move at agreater rate of speed than the first hanger, a

cylinder mounted on the support; a piston operat-` zeV ing in the cylinder longitudinally of the tracks,V

a second rack on the support, a rack on the first door hanger, and gears carried by the piston and respectively engaged with the two last mentioned racks to cause the iirst door hanger to move at a greater rate of speed than the piston.

7. The combination with a support, of .a track bar fixed to the lower portion thereof, a door hanger carriage that reciprocates on the track,

al cylinder mountedA on the support above and vlongitudinally of the track, a piston that operates in the cylinder, a rack mounted on the carriage, a rack mounted on the support, a gear case moved by the piston and having gears meshing with the racks, a second track mounted on the door hanger carriage, a second door hanger carriage that reciprocates on the second track, a rack on the second carriage, a second rack on the support, and gearing on the rst carriage in mesh with the latter racks.

8. The combination.v with a support, of a reciprocatory door hanger carriage movable thereon, a door hung from and movable with the carriage, pivotally connected toggle links above the door and movable to and from a relation for holding the door and carriage, and means for moving the toggle links from their holding relation including an operating device moi/ably mounted on andmovable with the door.

9. The combination with a support, of a reciprocatory door hanger carriage movable thereon, a door hung from and movable with the carriage, pivotally connected toggle links above the door and movable to and from a relation for holding the. door and carriage, an actuating arm mounted on the support and acting on the toggle links to move them from their holding relation, and a device movably mounted on the door and movable therewith, said device being adapted to engage with the arm when the door is locked to move said arm and thereby move the links from their holding position. y f

l0. The combination with va support having a track, of a door supporting carriage that reciprocates on the track, a rack on the carriage, a rack on Vthe support, a motor member including a movable drive element, gearing on the drive element that is engaged with the rack, pivotally connected links pivoted to the support and drive element and adapted tomove to a relation to hold said element and thereby the door against movement, and an arm pivotally mounted on the support and engaged with the links ai; their connections to swing them from vtheir holding relation.

11. The combination with a support having a track, of a door supporting carriage that reciprocates on the track, a door hung from the carriage, va rack on the carriage, *a rack on the support, a motor member including a movable drive element, gearing on the drive element that is engaged with the rack, pivotally connected links pivoted to the support and drive element; and adapted to move to .a relation to hold said element and thereby the door against movement, an arm pivotally mounted on the support and engaged with the links to swing them from their holding relation, and

means for swinging the arm including a recipro- .oatory rod mounted on the door.

l2. The combination with an elevator or like door, of mechanism for automatically moving the door to closed position, a lock associated with the closing mechanism to hold the same and the door against opening, and means movably mounted on the door to initially actuate the lock and 'thereafter move the door to open position, said means moving with the door into and out of position to actuate-the lock. 13. The combination with an elevator or like door, of mechanism at the top of the door for automatically moving the door to closed position, a lock at the top of the door associated with the closing mechanism to hold the same and the door against opening, and means movably mounted on the door and movable therewith to and from a position to engage with the lock to actuate the lock.

' NATHAN A. GUSSACK. 

